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Emotional abuse (also called Psychological Abuse) is behaviour that has a harmful effect on the adult’s emotional health, well-being and development. It is the denial of a person’s human and civil rights including choice and opinion, privacy and dignity and being able to follow one’s own spiritual and cultural beliefs or sexual orientation.

Mate Crime is a form of hate crime and is defined as the exploitation, abuse or theft from any person at risk from those they consider to be their friends. Those that commit such abuse or theft are often referred to as 'fake friends'. People with disabilities, particularly those with learning disabilities, are often the targets of this type of crime.

It is hard to give an exact definition of stalking because stalkers will often use multiple and differing methods to harass their victims. Stalking can consist of any type of behaviour such as regularly sending flowers or gifts, making unwanted or malicious communication, damaging property and physical or sexual assault. If the behaviour is persistent and clearly unwanted, causing you fear, distress or anxiety then it is stalking and you should not have to live with it.

Financial abuse is the main form of abuse by the Office of the Public Guardian both amongst adults and children at risk. Financial recorded abuse can occur in isolation, but as research has shown, where there are other forms of abuse, there is likely to be financial abuse occurring. Whilst this is not always the case, staff and volunteers need to aware of and vigilant to this.

Sexual abuse is the direct or indirect involvement in sexual activity without Consent. This could also be the inability to consent, pressure or induced to consent or take part. Sexual abuse includes rape, indecent assault, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.